Top Headlines: Healthcare in PM's I-Day speech, SBI HR subsidiary, and more

In his ninth Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, PM Narendra Modi is expected to devote a considerable amount of time to ongoing and proposed initiatives in the health care sector. Meanwhile, State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, in a bid to manage costs efficiently, will soon start a subsidiary that will look into human resources (HR)-related issues. Read more on these in our top headlines.

Health care may feature in PM Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech

In his ninth Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to devote a considerable amount of time to ongoing and proposed initiatives in the health care sector. He may also stress on digital banking and financial inclusion, and the resilience of the Indian economy in the face of global headwinds, Business Standard has learnt. Read more

To manage costs, State Bank of India set to launch HR subsidiary

In a bid to manage costs efficiently, State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, will soon start a subsidiary that will look into human resources (HR)-related issues. The operations and support subsidiary of SBI has recently received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India. The subsidiary will initially focus on managing branches in rural and semi-urban areas, and is likely to be manned by a section of staff who shall be recruited by the arm on a contractual basis. Read more

Muted volumes remain a concern for FMCG companies amid rising inflation

The June quarter was a mixed bag for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies in volume terms. Major FMCG firms Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Dabur India, and Nestlé India witnessed volume growth despite a high base. On the other hand, volumes of Britannia Industries, Marico, and Godrej Consumer were impacted during the quarter. Read more

India ramping up monkeypox testing capacity amid rise in cases

With India having nine laboratory-confirmed cases of monkeypox and experts cautioning that testing for this disease is low owing to social prejudices that go with it, the country is amping up its testing capacity. This is in addition to leveraging the tuberculosis-testing network in the country. Several other point-of-care testing kits are in the process of being made. Read more

More green energy funding, 5G in the spotlight at RIL's August 29 AGM

The 45th annual general meeting (AGM) of Reliance Industries (RIL) will be held virtually on August 29, the company has informed stock exchanges. While the AGM notice and the annual report for 2021-22 (FY22) have not been released yet, some experts believe that new energy and 5G will be in the spotlight at the meeting. At last year’s AGM, RIL had announced a Rs 75,000-crore investment over three years in green energy as part of its new energy push. Read more